Out Of Work And Confused? A Guide To Workers' Compensation Paperwork

While having a benefit like workers' compensation is definitely a good thing, this form of insurance is unlike others. Your employer pays your premiums for you and then you file a claim if you have an on-the-job injury. In most cases, you are given a few days or weeks off of work to recuperate and then you return to your same position, but things don't always go that smoothly. If you end up having trouble with your claim, you'll be glad that you got organized with your paperwork, so read on to learn more.

Medical treatment bills, statements, and receipts: It's true that you won't need to pay for any medical expenses from your own wallet, but you still need to keep up with your medically related paperwork nevertheless. Since one of your first responses to an injury should be to seek medical attention, begin keeping up with everything from doctor's visits to prescriptions filled.

Workers' compensation claim form:Let your supervisor know about your injury and that you want to file a workers' comp claim. Only by filing a claim form can you get benefits, although medical facilities will provide you with care even before you file. Be sure to keep your own copy of the claim form in addition to all correspondence you receive and send that applies to the claim. If you have evidence to bolster your claim of a work-related injury, make a folder for that. You might have things like witness contact information and a copy of their statements, photographs of your injuries and of the accident scene, and more.

Follow up: The workers' compensation carrier, as well as your employer, may be in contact with you throughout your recuperation period with requests for more information, and some of these conversations may be over the phone. Make notes about all conversations you have connected to your accident claim. Note the name of who you talked to, what was discussed, the time, and the date.

Partial salary: You may be entitled to receive a partial amount of your pay while you stay home and get better, so keep up with your pay statements. It's worth noting that these payments:

Are paid weekly

Do not have taxes taken out nor will you need to pay taxes on it, since it's not considered income like your usual pay is.

Have no deductions for healthcare, retirement funds, or similar.

Pain journal: Using a notebook to jot down your level of discomfort on a regular basis will come in handy if your claim hits any snags. If your injury fails to heal properly, you might have a permanent injury, and the information contained in your journal could be a key factor when your workers' compensation lawyer negotiates your lump-sum settlement.